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Govt to pull out troops soon
Relaxes emergency further to free polls campaign, media
Staff Correspondent
The caretaker government yesterday decided to start troops pullout across the country immediately and relaxed emergency powers rules (EPR) allowing political parties to hold meetings and rallies ahead of the parliamentary and upazila elections next month.
All political parties, excepting BNP-led four-party alliance, already started electioneering shortly after the Election Commission (EC) had announced detailed schedules of the two elections on Sunday night.
BNP leaders said they will make their official reaction to the EC announcement public tomorrow.
The military backed caretaker government also removed all restrictions on the electronic and print media for covering poll campaigns, by revoking clauses 5 and 6 of EPR 2007.
The decision of sending the military back to barracks and of relaxing the restrictions on political activities came a day after the EC had announced the poll schedules.
President Iajuddin Ahmed, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, 'approved a government proposal for withdrawal of the members of armed forces deployed across the country in aid of the civil administration', a top official of Bangabhaban said yesterday.
Asked when the troops pullout will begin, Home Adviser MA Matin told reporters, "With immediate effect."
The chief election commissioner however said earlier that the military will be deployed along with regular law enforcement forces during the elections.
On December 9, 2006, the president who also held the post of chief adviser simultaneously back then, ordered army deployment in aid of the civil administration to maintain law and order ahead of the stalled 9th general election, originally scheduled for January 22 last year.
Home ministry sources yesterday said withdrawal of the armed forces will start after the ministry issues a gazette notification in this regard.
EPR RELAXED
A gazette notification issued Yesterday relaxing restrictions on political activities said the government, with some conditions, is allowing election campaign related processions, meetings and rallies.
The conditions are that the processions, meetings and rallies have to be election campaign related and can be held only in accordance with the amended Representation of the People Order, and Local Government (Upazila Parishad) Ordinance, 2008.
The government relaxed the EPR once before in September last year, allowing political activities on a limited scale with some conditions.
MEDIA RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Yesterday, the government revoked clauses 5 and 6 of EPR 2007, removing restrictions on the media and barriers to electoral campaign rallies and processions, a government announcement said.
The clause 5 had imposed restrictions on the media with clear instructions not to publish or broadcast reports on assemblies, public meetings, rallies, processions and political statements that might have gone against the government or be detrimental to its interest.
It had also banned provocative news stories, editorials, post-editorials, and cartoons and talk shows.
The relaxation comes nearly 22 months after the rules were put into effect last year.
AL'S POLL PREPARATION
Awami League (AL) will send letters to its grassroots level units across the country today asking them to send names of five possible nominees for the party ticket within a couple of days for finalising the selection of candidates for the December 18 parliamentary election.
AL central working committee (ALCWC), the highest decision making body of the party, will meet today to finalise the process of getting nomination requests from the grassroots level. After the approval of the ALCWC meeting, the party will start sending letters to its grassroots level committees of metropolitan cities, districts, upazilas, thanas, municipalities, unions and wards.
With the last date for submitting nomination papers for both the parliamentary and upazila elections being November 13, senior AL leaders instructed the grassroots level leaders to take preparations for holding extended meetings of the units to choose a maximum of five prospective nominees through ballots.
Although AL's parliamentary nominations will be largely based on the list prepared for the stalled January 22 election, there will be changes in 25 constituencies, sources said. AL's parliamentary board will pick one nominee from each panel upon its chief Sheikh Hasina's return from abroad.
Upazila and union committees will finalise the nominees for the upazila elections.
Sources said AL will not nominate any person who has been convicted. "We won't do anything violating the law, but the government will have to allow the law to take its own course," AL Presidium Member Matia Chowdhury told The Daily Star.
BNP, 4-PARTY
Although BNP and its four-party alliance has yet to decide whether they will contest in the elections, party insiders said they are 'positive about the elections' and are likely to come up with a decision tomorrow.
Four-party alliance is calculating its possible gains and losses if it contests in the polls, said alliance sources.
All eyes are now set on tomorrow's meeting of the chiefs of four-party alliance components.
BNP standing committee will meet today in the party chairperson's office in Gulshan of the capital.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said all preparations are done, although there are confusions about their participation in the elections. "Our election preparations at the grassroots level are almost at the final stage," he said.
:The Daily Star: Internet Edition
Relaxes emergency further to free polls campaign, media
Staff Correspondent
The caretaker government yesterday decided to start troops pullout across the country immediately and relaxed emergency powers rules (EPR) allowing political parties to hold meetings and rallies ahead of the parliamentary and upazila elections next month.
All political parties, excepting BNP-led four-party alliance, already started electioneering shortly after the Election Commission (EC) had announced detailed schedules of the two elections on Sunday night.
BNP leaders said they will make their official reaction to the EC announcement public tomorrow.
The military backed caretaker government also removed all restrictions on the electronic and print media for covering poll campaigns, by revoking clauses 5 and 6 of EPR 2007.
The decision of sending the military back to barracks and of relaxing the restrictions on political activities came a day after the EC had announced the poll schedules.
President Iajuddin Ahmed, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, 'approved a government proposal for withdrawal of the members of armed forces deployed across the country in aid of the civil administration', a top official of Bangabhaban said yesterday.
Asked when the troops pullout will begin, Home Adviser MA Matin told reporters, "With immediate effect."
The chief election commissioner however said earlier that the military will be deployed along with regular law enforcement forces during the elections.
On December 9, 2006, the president who also held the post of chief adviser simultaneously back then, ordered army deployment in aid of the civil administration to maintain law and order ahead of the stalled 9th general election, originally scheduled for January 22 last year.
Home ministry sources yesterday said withdrawal of the armed forces will start after the ministry issues a gazette notification in this regard.
EPR RELAXED
A gazette notification issued Yesterday relaxing restrictions on political activities said the government, with some conditions, is allowing election campaign related processions, meetings and rallies.
The conditions are that the processions, meetings and rallies have to be election campaign related and can be held only in accordance with the amended Representation of the People Order, and Local Government (Upazila Parishad) Ordinance, 2008.
The government relaxed the EPR once before in September last year, allowing political activities on a limited scale with some conditions.
MEDIA RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Yesterday, the government revoked clauses 5 and 6 of EPR 2007, removing restrictions on the media and barriers to electoral campaign rallies and processions, a government announcement said.
The clause 5 had imposed restrictions on the media with clear instructions not to publish or broadcast reports on assemblies, public meetings, rallies, processions and political statements that might have gone against the government or be detrimental to its interest.
It had also banned provocative news stories, editorials, post-editorials, and cartoons and talk shows.
The relaxation comes nearly 22 months after the rules were put into effect last year.
AL'S POLL PREPARATION
Awami League (AL) will send letters to its grassroots level units across the country today asking them to send names of five possible nominees for the party ticket within a couple of days for finalising the selection of candidates for the December 18 parliamentary election.
AL central working committee (ALCWC), the highest decision making body of the party, will meet today to finalise the process of getting nomination requests from the grassroots level. After the approval of the ALCWC meeting, the party will start sending letters to its grassroots level committees of metropolitan cities, districts, upazilas, thanas, municipalities, unions and wards.
With the last date for submitting nomination papers for both the parliamentary and upazila elections being November 13, senior AL leaders instructed the grassroots level leaders to take preparations for holding extended meetings of the units to choose a maximum of five prospective nominees through ballots.
Although AL's parliamentary nominations will be largely based on the list prepared for the stalled January 22 election, there will be changes in 25 constituencies, sources said. AL's parliamentary board will pick one nominee from each panel upon its chief Sheikh Hasina's return from abroad.
Upazila and union committees will finalise the nominees for the upazila elections.
Sources said AL will not nominate any person who has been convicted. "We won't do anything violating the law, but the government will have to allow the law to take its own course," AL Presidium Member Matia Chowdhury told The Daily Star.
BNP, 4-PARTY
Although BNP and its four-party alliance has yet to decide whether they will contest in the elections, party insiders said they are 'positive about the elections' and are likely to come up with a decision tomorrow.
Four-party alliance is calculating its possible gains and losses if it contests in the polls, said alliance sources.
All eyes are now set on tomorrow's meeting of the chiefs of four-party alliance components.
BNP standing committee will meet today in the party chairperson's office in Gulshan of the capital.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said all preparations are done, although there are confusions about their participation in the elections. "Our election preparations at the grassroots level are almost at the final stage," he said.
:The Daily Star: Internet Edition
